By Keith Field

ST MELLION GOLF CLUB

SENIORS SECTION ‘THE FOSSILS’ - LATEST

LAST Tuesday’s (May 21) match against Tavistock was interrupted by an extraordinary demonstration of nature’s power with a cacophonous thunderstorm that lasted a couple of hours. 

Luckily the accompanying heavy downpours did not last too long or delayed play by more than a few minutes each time. The occasional horizontal flashes of lightning resulted in play continuing cautiously. 

A couple of teams who were close to the clubhouse sought shelter but the other matches concluded without incident. 

Played on the Kernow course this year, the visitors enjoyed the well prepared ‘grass’ and in some cases took a little time to adjust. 

Whether by design or not one match appeared to offer all of the players opportunities to visit the extremities of the course quite frequently, much to the amusement of the following players immediately behind them. 

It is testament to the players’ longevity in these matches, which are always played in cordial relationships, that one team, as they sat in the clubhouse reviewing their efforts on the course, realised that the combined ages of the four players well exceeded 300 years with the youngest amongst then a sprightly 72.

The day started with a win for Tavistock in a tough encounter but alas for Tavi that was as good as it got, thereafter it was a depressing series of scores but on the other hand St Mellion were enjoying the good fortune of five clear victories and two halves to give them victory 6-2. 

After the two captains reviewed the day’s events following an excellent dinner, the players were left in no doubt that the return up on the moor would be challenging. 

The Fossils did not need to be reminded about the reversal of fortunes suffered in their last few visits to Tavistock.

Phil Cuming won nearest the pin for St Mellion and Ashley Austan for Tavistock.

The weather did improve by Thursday but what a contradiction in clothing as a result. The skies remained cloudy but a very cool north westerly wind kept the temperatures down and it remained dry. 

With it being mid-May there were plenty of knees on show but many others elected beanies and several layers to keep warm, so a great hurrah to the brave Fossils in shorts! 

The day’s game was a Waltz played off a full handicap for the teams of three. 

Results again demonstrated the effect of the latest WHS handicap calculation with the extremely powerful team of Keith Abbott, Tony Hurley and Bruce Sobey returning a winning total of 76. 

Not far behind on 75 were the two teams of Tony Prout, Colin Marshall and Alan Malvern and then Tony Hurley, Paul Turner and Keith Abbott which had to be separated on countback.

Although the course had softened following the heavy rainfall earlier in the week, the greens remained hard and non-holding so although in their usual immaculate shape, many found putting tough and perhaps went some way to explain the wide variation between the top and bottom of the leaderboard. 

The best individual team score for one hole was the impressive nine scored by Ian Edwards, Tom Brookes and Peter Lee on the ninth hole and on the 12th by Brian Pound, Andy Bryan and Colin Baker.

The results were as follows: 1 Mike Page, Peter Pascoe and Bruce Sobey – 76; 2 Tony Prout, Colin Marshall and Alan Malvern – 75; Tony Hurley, Paul Turner and Keith Abbott – 75; 4 Will Carslaw, John Clemens and the Ghost – 74; Mike Richardson, Dave Morton and Geoff Barnicoat – 74.